Hey! My name is Jackson Simpkins, I’m a Junior at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico! This is my third year in Evolvement, and first year on our Leadership Team! Evolvement is a Youth Led movement that works to educate our community about the dangers of nicotine and tobacco products. We educate our community through our two campaigns. First is 24/7, which works to ensure all schools are 100% tobacco-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our other campaign is called No Minor Sale, which aims to stop the sale and distribution of nicotine and tobacco products to youth, at the point of sale.
Evolvement traveled to Santa Fe in January to talk with legislators about our movement. Our goal is to gain the support from legislators, and educate them about what we do. One of the legislators we talked to was Senator Leo Jaramillo who supports our movement and expressed his appreciation for us working in Española. Senator Leo Jaramillo supports our cause and even offered to attend a City Council meeting with an Evolver in Española!!
It’s important for youth to stand up against Big Tobacco and Big Nicotine because of the dangerous position they put youth in. With media advertisements that target both youth and minorities, it causes huge health equity concerns. Meeting legislators is important because they are key decision makers of our state. Through the support from these legislators, we are able to keep our movement going and continue making New Mexico a healthier state, and healthier community.
